Golf courses, parks and other similarly landscaped environments often require bridge structures to span water courses, pedestrian walkways or other obstructions. It can be appreciated that in these environments, the use of an unsightly or cumbersome bridge structure is less than desirable. Light to medium-duty bridge structures are particularly suited for these applications.
Typically, light duty bridge structures employ structural members such as I-beams to provide the required span. The I-beams serve to support an upper support surface, which may further comprise a concrete or asphalt running surface. An example of this structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 501,534 to Palmer. Another lightweight bridge structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,108 to Wadsworth, which provides a pair of arched structural members, between which are a plurality of bracing members and a suitable load bearing surface (i.e. wood planks).
For golf courses, parks and the like, it is desirable to provide a light to medium-duty bridge structure that is easily installed, requires minimum disturbance to the surrounding environment, and can be used as a replacement bridge for aging structures. The provision of a bridge in a kit form would be particularly advantageous, as it would simplify the transport and installation process.
Over the years, corrugated metal sheets or plates have proved themselves to be a durable, economical and versatile engineering material. The use of these materials in bridge structures in known, for example as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,129,917 and 6,578,343. Corrugated metal plate is particularly suited for light to medium duty applications as it can be easily transported and installed on site, facilitating the overall installation process.